Subaquatic projectile



5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

V. P. LSSOE. SUB-AQUATIC PROJECTILB.

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(No Model.)

LSSOE. SUB-AQUATIC PROJEGTILE SNN 0.. Q m W (No Model.)

5 Sheets-Sheet 3. V. F. LSSOE. SUB-AQUATIC PRGJBGTILE.

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V. I'. LSSOE. SUB-AQUATIC PROJBGTILB.

No. 431,210. Patented July 1,1890.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

V. P. LSSOB. SUB-AQUATIC PRQJEQTILE.

., 1 ted July 1, 1890.-

UNITED STATES PATENT.l OFFICE.

VALDEMAR F. LSSOE, OF BROOKLYN, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO THE ERICSSON COAST DEFENCE COMPANY, OF ,NEW YORK, N. Y.' y

SUBAQUATIC PROJ ECTILE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 431,210, dated July 1, 1890.

Application tiled February 13, 1890. Serial No. 340,263. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it knownthat I, VALDEMAR F. Lsson,Y

. partly s'ubaquatic.

One object of the improvement is to effec such an automaticsteering of the projectile in a vertical plane after it enters the water as to insure a true horizontabtrajectory at a predetermined andl fixed deptlr. maybe termed purely subaquatic' projectiles, which are projected from a gun under water, this feature of automatic steering in a vertical plane is of great importance, 'as the pitch of thevessel makes it diliicult to expel such projectiles from the gun at the moment the vessel is level, and any slight inclination of the axis of the gun, either above or below the horizontal at the time of firing, will seriously aect the depth of submergence ofthe projectile at the end of its path. For what may be termed aerial subaquatic projectiles, which are projected from guns above water to strike vessels or bodies under water, this same feature of automatic steering in a vertical plane is of as great, if not of greater, importance, as it enables such projectiles to strike the water and reach the vessel or object aimed at even if entering the water at a considerable distance from it, thereby increasing the size of its horizontal target -manifold.

Another object of the improvement to obtain as great a subaquatic range as possible for suchA projectiles.

T he invention consists in certain means, hereinafter described and claimed,- whereby these objects are accomplished.

, I will now, proceed to describe my invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, and will afterward point out its novelty in claims. v-

Figure 1 is a top view of a subaquati'c pro- For what 'v the same for the jectile embodying my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 represent vert-ical longitudinal sections of different portions of the lengtlr of the projectile on a larger scale than Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 represent on a still larger scale than that of Figs. 2 and 3 vertical sections of portions of the automat-ic steering apparatus. Figs. 6, f7, 8, and 9 represent on the same scale as Figs 4 and 5 transverse sections of the projectile, taken, respectively, in the lines .fr y y, e' a, of Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. l0 is a diagram illustrating a modification of what is herein termed the regulaton Fig. 11 represents an attacking and an attacked vessel, illustrating the operation of my invention.

Similar letters ofv reference designate corre-v sponding parts in all the gres.

A A A2 A3 A4 A5 designate the body of the projectile, which .may be constructed in any suitable manner to receive and contain the` explosive charge, the vautomatic steering apparatus, and rocket-charges to increase the subaquatic range, but which is represented `as made of six sections, each constituting a portion of its length. The-foremost of these sections A contains the explosive charge. The

rearmost section A5 contains the fuses for' what I call the accelerating `charges, and is removable to reach the interior of the next section A4, which has attached toit the steering-rudders or diving-blades B B.` The second section A from the front contains what I term the regulator C. The third section A2 contains what I callthe center plate D. The fourth section A3 has upon its exterior longitudinal iinsf, two of which are continued on the section A4. The several sections may be united in any convenient or suitable manner--for instance, by being secured together, as shown at t in Fig. 5, or ley-fitting one into another and securing themby screws, asshown at'v in the i same figure, or by connecting bands and' screws, as shown at lu2 in Fig. 4. The example shown has attached to its forward end what is termed a pilot-shell P, which forms no part of the present invention, but is the' subject-matter of my application for United' States Patent No. 322,080, filed August 27, 1889. The construction of the body will be purely subaquatic projectile IOO and for the aerial subaquatic projectile, ex-

cept that the purely sub-aquatic projectile will require to be furnished, as in the example shown, with a water-tight packing e to fit the gun from which it is to be discharged. For the aeriall subaquatic projectile such packing would be unnecessary.

The rudders B, which are arranged one on each side of the projectile, are both firmly secured to apivotal spindle d, which passes transversely through the body of the projectile at right angles to its axis, and is tted to suitable bearings d* therein. As this spindie requires to be maintained in a horizontal position that the rudders may always work vertically, the projectile requires to be prevented from turning when it is in the water, and to meet these requirements I employ the center plate or weight D, which consists of a substantially flat plate of metal having its central plane parallel with the axis of the projectile to work through a longitudinal opening d2 therein in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rudder-spindle d, the axis of the pivot d being parallel with that of the said spindle. The lower part of the said plate or weight is made heavier than the rest of it, in order that when it is allowed to drop through the opening d'fg it may bring the center-of gravity of the projectile as low as possible to maintain the rudder-spindle d positively horizontal. Stops d3v are provided on this plate or weight to prevent it from falling below a proper position, and a water-tight casing d4 is provided in the body to cover the said plate and the opening d2 and prevent the water from entering the body through the said opening. When the projectile is in the gun thisv plat or weight is all ontai edwithin this lcasing and within the body o the projectile.

Asit is not only absolutely essential that the projectile should have the axis of its rudderspindle horizontal while in the water, but is also desirable that the said axis should be horizontal before the projectile enters-the Water, I provide for the latter purpose op the section A2 an externally-projecting stud 03, (see Fig. 3,) suitably arranged on the circumference of the projectile to run in a straight groove planed in the bore of the gun.

The regulator hereinbefore mentioned consists, mainly, of a cylinder C, Qsee Figs. 3, 5, 8, and 9,) fitted with two water-tight but freelynioving pistonscc. (See Figs. Band 5.) This cylinder is represented as arranged in the lower part of the section A of the body with its axis parallel with` that of the projectile. Itmay be either cast with this section A", as represented, or be otherwise permanently attached thereto. The cylinder is fitted between the pistons c c' with a stationary block or bridge C', having a central rectangular opening, as shown in Fig. 9, to contain two pinions g g and their supporting-spindle g* and to permit the passage of four racks h h h 71,-',

of which h and h are arranged diagonally to f each other, as shown in Fig. 9, and are attached to the piston c, and h and h are also 4cured by screw-bolts 1l.

arranged diagonally to each other and are attached to the piston c. The spindleg is fast in the bridge C and the pinions are loose upon it. The upper rack h of the piston c and the lower rack h of the piston c gear with the pinion g, `while the upper rack h of the piston c and the lower rack h of the piston c gear with the other pinion g', so that as either piston moves in one direction it will tend to pull the other one in the other direction. The two pistons will be operated upon together by any pressure between them, and A being thus geared together the power exerted upon themis equal to that exerted upon a single piston of double the area, and, what is more important for the purpose of my invention, as will be hereinafter explained, the weight and momentum of one may be balanced by the weight and moment-um of the other.

The racks h h hh being fitted to thequadrangular opening in the block C', as shown in Fig. 9,-serve to guide the pistons@ c. The said racks are of such leng-th that they serve as stops to limit the distance which the pistons are permitted to approacheach' other.y

To provide for the insertion of the block C into the cylinder C, the'sa-id cylinder is bored of two different diameters, the rearward part being the larger, the smaller diameter of the forward portion corresponding with that of the pistons ce. The blockis inserted through the larger rearward end of the cylinder up to a shoulder, and is secured in place by a flanged bushingt', which is inserted into the rearward end of the cylinder and se- The bore of this bushing corresponds with the smaller forward portion of the cylinder-bore and the diameter of the pistons.

Fig. 5 shows the .piston c fitted to the smaller bore of the cylind r and the piston c tted tothe bushing. T e piston c is furnished on its outer side with another rack (2*, which works through a guide provided in a head j, which is bolted onto the front end of the cylinder by the same bolts i', hereinbefore mentioned, which secure the bushing t'. This head j contains the bearings for .the shaft lo of a toothed sector lo, which gears with the said rack 0*.

The cylinder C is provid-ed between its two pistons c c with openings both in its top and its bottom for admitting water to it from thesea, the openings in the bottom being opposite to and communicating with openings a in the bottom-of the body and furnished with inwardly-opening valves a', and the openings in the top being opposite to and. communicating with lpipes b, which extend upward through' the body` all as shown in Figs. 3 and 5.

It is partly by the pressure of the water admitted from the sea to the cylinder C between the pistons c c', above described, which pressure varies laccordin g to the depth of submergence of the projectile, and partly by the IIO lm of dierent radii constituting arms of a.

lever, of which the toothed sector k may be considered as another arm. To the smaller one m of these sectors is secured one end of a rope or cord p, preferably a wire rope, which passes partly around a'sheave n, fast on the rudder-spindle, and the other end of which .is secured to the spiral springt, which is the spring just hereinbefore referred to, the said spring being secured to a screw-threaded rod t', which passes freely through a fixed bearing t2, secured in the section A4 of the body of the projectile. The screw-thread of this rod is fitted in front of the said bearing t2 with a -nut t3, by which the tension of the said spring t may be adjusted. The said ropep is secured to the said sheave by a setescrew p. The said spring t acts through the lever-arm m and the toothed sector kon the piston-rod c* in such manner as to draw the pistons c c toward each other in opposition to the tendency to separate them producedby the pressure of the water admitted between the said pistons through the openings a, b when the projectile is in the water. The pull of the spring actsto move the rudders downward, vand,the pressure of the water between the pistons acts to move them upward.

The rudders are fastened on their spindle' in such a position that when the pistons are the closest together the rear ends of the rudders 'will incline downward, and the water acting on the under side of their inclined sur# faces when the projectile is in motion therein will tend to raise the tail. end of the projectile, thereby altering the length of its longitudinal axis in sucha'manner that the proj ectile will descend. As long as the tension of the spring forces the pistons together with a greater power than that exerted by the seapressure to move them apart the projectile will continue descending, bu't `as soon as the projectile has reached such a depththat the sea-pressure overpowers the tension-set `on the spring the two pistons vwill move. apart, thereby reducing the inclination of the rudders until these have-reached -a position paralle) jectile. If the projectilekeeps' on descending, the rudders-will continue moving until their rear ends incline upward and force the tail end of the projectile downward. When the projectile has atlast found a depth where it will proceed with its longitudinalaxis horizontal, the steering-rudders-will remain stationary. The tension brought to bear on the spring t by the Aadjusting-nut t3 will therefore determine the depth at which the projectile will move horizontally in the water.

with the longitudinal axis of the pro` This tension is to be adjusted before placing the projectile in the gun.

In order to compensatefor the additional tension of the spring produced by its being extended farther and farther by the movement ofv the pistons apart, the sector-shaped lever m is made eccentric, as shown in Fig. 5, which makes the said sector, in combination with the toothed-sector It', produce a lever of differential type, the\sector k maintaining the same leverage through its movement, and the leverage of the arm or sector m gradually decreasing through its forward movement. The pressure of the water on the pistons is then caused to act more and more powerfully on the rudders as the projectile descends. This increase of the power of the pistons as the projectile descends tends in the case of an aerial subaquatic project-ile to prevent any excessive diving when the projectile enters the water at the end of its aerial fiight, as

illustrated in Fig. 1l, wherein the projectile is represented at Eas just entering the water and at E 'as having assumed its horizontal path.

Whether the projectile is used on the aerial subaquatic principle or on the. purely sub-1 aquatic principle, it is important that the steering-rudders or diving-blades should stand parallel with the longitudinal axis of the projectile as this leaves the gun. In an aerial subaquatic projectile any inclinationof these rudders might seriously affect its trajectory, or in a purely subaquatic projectile such inclination would also be dangerous, as it would give the projectile a downward movement before the regulator could be brought to act. In order therefore to lock the rudders in a horizontal position against the pull of the spring t while the projectileis in the gun and before the regulator can come into operation, I provide on the rudder-spindle d a sector-shaped projection o, to be engaged by a locking hook or detent o', which is pivoted within the body of the projectile, and which is brought into engagement with the said projection o, as shown in Fig. 4, by means of a spring o2, applied to the said detent. This hook o is also connected by a ropeor cord q with the longer' one Z of the two sectors or lever-arms on the shaft of the toothed sector lo, so that when the projectile becomes submerged and the pistons of the regulator are brought into action the said arm or sector Z will act through the cord p to pull the lockinghook o out of engagement with' the said projection 0 and leave the rudders free to the action of the regulator.v

Before placing the projectile in the gun the rudders are pulled up into line with the axis of the projectile, and the hook o then becomes engaged with the projection o and locks them against the tension of the spring t, which would otherwise give their rear ends a downward inclination. By thus pulling the rudders up their spindle d is caused to turn and with it the sheave n, and the wire rope IOO p, being fastened to this sheave and extending therefrom to the lever-arm fm, must become slack. As this would have the effect of leaving the two pistons free to move, a spring s and a slackening chain or piece?a are inserted into the said rope, the eect being that when the rudders are in theirlowest inclined position vthe spring s is fully extended and the chain taut, while when the rudders are pulled up to the horizontal position,as shown in Fig. 2, the spring contracts, keeping the rope p still taut, besides having suli'icient power to keep a good strain on the pistons to draw them toward each other. The chain r hangs down slack in this case. V'Vhen the projectile gets below the surface of lthe water and the seapressure has commenced to act between and upon the pistons and has brought them farther apart, the lever-arm Z, operated through the rack c* and toothed sector 7c, will havemoved sufficiently forward for the rope q to pull the dctent o out of engagement with the projection 0 on the rudder-spindle and disengage the said spindle andthe rudders and bring the diving-gear into action. As the Water forces the pistons apart the spring s gives Way and the slack of the chain-r is taken up, and the longer lever-arm l, acting through .the rope q, holds the hook o while out of engagement from the rudder-spindle.

As a subaquatic projectile must necessarily be of light construction, so that its Weight shall not exceed its displacement, it becomes desirable in the case of an aerial subaquatic projectile to use a smaller propelling-charge and fire at a high elevation to obtain the necessary aerial range. The projectile will consequently enter the water at a considerable angle, and unless the steering-rudders or diving-blades are brought in immediate action it will dive too deep. It is therefore advantageous to have the regulator-cylinder lled with water between its pistons before ring, so that no time will-'be lost in illing it when the projectile dives. It is to provide for this preparatory filling that the ports c are provided with the inwardly-opening valves a a. These valves retain water, with which the cylinder-space is filled through the openings b until the projectile reaches the water, after which the pressure of the outside water opens the said valves.

One of the most important features of my invention is the regulator having two hydraulic pistons geared together to move in opposite directions. It is well understood that a movable weight ina projectile starting with considerable initial velocity Will tend, by its inertia, to remain stationary while the projectile is moving forward, and the forcel exerted on such movable body will be equal to its weight multiplied by such velocity. It is therefore paramount that all movable weightsin such projectiles should bebalanced, and especially those that are intended to govern and regulate.

It will be seen that when the projectile is fired the piston c will exert a force rearward in proportion to the initial velocity of the projectile, and that the piston c will exert a similar force rearward if its weight, including that of its racks h h', be equal to that of c, including its racks h h and other movable connections which are not self-balancing between the rack c* and the rudder; but as the rearward motion of the piston c, through the intervention of the racks 7L and h and pinions g g, which are but substitutes for alever, will pull the piston c* forward, the inertia of each piston balances that of the other and the strain is brought on the spindle.

ln the modification of the hydraulic regulator (shown in Fig. 10) the pistons c c', instead ot being in the same cylinder, are in separate cylinders C* (1*, which are arranged one above the other, and which are connected by a lever C2, working on a fulcrum in such manner as to move in opposite directions. 'lhe inner ends of these cylinders are open to the chamber C3, which constitutesone of the sections of the projectile, and to which water is admitted through the openings a in the bottom, and openings b at the top in the same way as air is admitted to the cylinder C of the regulator first described. It is obvious that the piston c', being made to properly balance the piston c, and the movable parts connected to and moving with it, the inertia of one will balance the inertia of the other. This form of regulator is the equivalent in its action to that first describedybut I prefer the form first described, as in that the counterbalancing-piston c', being in line with the main piston c, canbe brought down near the bottom of the projectile, and it is desirable to get the Weight as low as possible.

To increase the subaquaticv range of the projectile I use in the rear portion of it a number of rocket-charges, as owing to the occupation of the rear part of the interior of the body by the rudder-spindle and its attachments it would be inconvenient to`use such a charge in the central portion of the body or in the body proper of the projectile. l use'two or more such charges u in sheet-iron boxes u', arrangedon the exterior of the body in the form of ns, as shown in Figs. l, 2, and 6. In Fig. 6 two suchboxes and rocket-charges are represented, the said boxes being represented .in line with two of the fins f, and being virtually widened prolongations of said fins, as shown in Fig. 1. The rocket-charges u may be of the usual-composition and are represented as contained in cases uzof cylindrical form and having conical bores in their rear ends for their proper ignition. The cases u2 are secured in any convenient manner within the boxes u', and the boxes have in' their rear ends Wooden plugs a3, which are driven out by the explosion of the rocketoharges. The charges may be fired by a quick match a4, inserted through the rear end of the projectile and having branches leading to each charge.

IOO

IIO

A small hole in the piston employed inthe gun for driving out the projectile will permit the powder-charges of the gun to ignite theI quick-match.

What I- claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

l. The combination, with a 'subaquatic proj ectile, of arudder havingits pivot transverse to the axis of the projectile, and a weight suspended in the projectile to move through an opening therein in a plane perpendicular to the pivot of the rudder, substantially as herein described, for the purpose of maintaining the rudder-pivot horizontal, as herein set forth.

2. The combination, with a subaquatic proj eetile, of a rudder having its pivot transverse to t-he axis of the projectile, and a weight of plate form having its central plane parallel with the axis of theprojectile and suspended Within the projectile tomove through a longitudinal opening therein in a plane perpendicular to the axis of the rudder, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

- forth.

6. The combination, with the projectile, the

3, The combination,witha subaquatic projectile and a rudder thereon for directing it in a horizontal trajectory, of two hydraulic pistons, one of which is connected with'said rudder, and a cylinder or cylinders for the said pistons, to which water is admitted from outside the projectile to press on said pistons, and gearing or connections, substantially as herein described, between said pistons, whereby when one is caused to vmove in one direction the other will be caused to move in the opposite direction, substantially as and for the purposeherein set forth.

4. The combination,witha subaquatic projectile and a rudder thereon for directing it in a horizontal trajectory, of a cylinder arranged within the projectile, two pistons in saidcylinder, one of which is connected with the rudder, and which are geared together, substantially as herein described, to be moved simultaneously in opposite directions by Wa'- ter admitted to said cylinder between them, substantially a's and for the purpose herein set forth.

5. The combination, Witha subaquatic projectile, a rudder thereon for directing it in a horizontal trajectory, a spindle for said rudder, and a sheave thereon, of a cylinder arranged lengthwise within the projectile and open to the exterior thereof, a piston in said cylinder to be acted upon by the pressure of the water outside of the projectile, a rope or cord connected with said piston and passing over said sheave, and a sprin g connected with said sheave to turn the rudder in the opposite direction to that in which the pressure of the water on said piston acts to turn it, substantially as and for the purpose hereinl set rudder, the spring connected with the rudderspindle for turning it in one direction, and the hydraulic regulator'for turning it in the other I sion of said spring is compensated for, sub-A stantally as herein described.

7 The combination, with the projectile, the rudder, the spring connected with the rudderspindle to turn it in one direction, the hydraulic regulator for turning the said spindle in the opposite direction, and a detent engaging with said spindle to hold it against the tension of said spring, of a lever engaging with the piston of the said regulator and havingvtwo arms, of which one is connected with the rudder-spindle and the other with said detent, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth.

8. The combination, with the projectile, the rudder, the spring for turning the rudderspindle in one direction, the hydraulic regulator for turning said spindle in the other direction, and the detent for holding the rudder-spindle against the tension of said spring, ot two ropes or cords forming connections between `the regulator and the rudder-spindle and said detent, respectively, and a spring and chain or slacking-piece inserted in the rope or cord which connects the regulator with the rudder-spindle, substantially as and for the purpose herein set forth. ,y

9. The combination, in a regulator for controlling the action of a rudder for directing a subaquatic projectile in a horizontal trajectory, of a water-cylinder, and two pistons therein provided each with two toothed racks arranged in diagonal relation to each other, a stationary bridge arranged Within said cylinder between said. pistons and serving as a guide to said racks, and two toothed pinions pivoted within said bridge and each gearing with one rack of each piston, substantially as herein set forth.A

10. The combination, With a subaquatic projectile` and a rudderA therefor, of apiston connected with the said rudder and a Water- IOO IIO

cylinder which is contained within the projeetile and in which said piston Works for controlling the position of the rudder and to which there are openings from the lexterior of the projectile at topand bottom, of inwardlyopening valves for closi-ng said openings at the bottom to permit the preparatory charging of the cylinder with water, substantially as herein set forth.

ll. The combination, with the body of a proj ectile, of boxes arranged lengthwise upon the exterior in the form of fins for containing rocketcharges, substantially as herein described.

VALDEMAR F. LASSOE. Witnesses:

FREDK. I-IAYNES, GEO. BARRY.

IZO 

